Basics

Planning For a Dwelling : Well! You have decided to own your own sweet home. Congratulations. Now let us see what you should do to make your dream come true. The first step is to be very clear about your needs which will determine the type of house you are planning to own. Some important decisions are to be made as to whether you would like to own an apartment or independent house. A flat or apartment is good when you want to own a dwelling at an affordable cost but still stay within the city. For independent houses, you may have to invest considerable amount of money in case of city based properties, as land cost will be high. Or you may have to locate a land outside the city limits, if you want to minimize investment. However, the independent houses offer better appreciation than flats. Considering the size of the family, the needs such as commuting to the workplace, children’s education and the budget for the proposed home etc, you must have an approximate idea about the location and the size of the home you are going to construct. Discuss your needs with your family and consider your family/household size, present and future. Decide on number of rooms, bathrooms, storerooms, verandah, any other facility - of what size, for what purpose?

Budgeting and Estimation: There are basically two major factors to consider: Land Cost and Construction Cost. The land costs fluctuate and vary depending on location. The construction cost can be taken approximately as Rs 500 per sq.ft of plinth area of your home. Assuming that you are planning to buy a ground of land at Rs 6 lakhs and build a house of 1200 sq ft, the total cost of the building is about Rs 12 lakhs. Add 20 % on this towards miscellaneous and unforeseen expenses. Thus, your budget for the proposed home is about Rs 14.4 lakhs.

Information is Power: Understand the basic aspects of construction and the process from your friend, builder or the architect. This information will make you more at ease with the process, and prepare you for what to expect at each stage of construction. Also, keep a measuring tape handy when you visit the site, and keep your eyes open.
You should not hesitate to ask questions about the process or progress of your home. If you see something that looks wrong, or out of place - ask about it without accusing your builder of missing something - chances are they know about it and are in the process of correcting or completing it.

Duration of Construction: Many variables affect the time it takes to build your home. Though you may not be able to plan exactly how long it will take until you've selected an architect, develop a rough plan of activities. The size and complexity of a home, site and weather conditions, and the availability of labor and materials - all affect the time under construction, or cycle time, as builders call it.
Regulatory procedures vary so much throughout the country that the time it takes to obtain a building permit can range from a couple of weeks to many months - before your builder can even begin construction. And then there's the fact that every building company has its own pace at which it progresses through construction.

Buying Land : After organizing finances for the proposed buying of land, and depending on your affordability, decide upon the type of environment and the location that would suit you. The land must be easily accessible at the first place. Think about the location and the roads that lead to your land. Is your land provided with public amenities? Is the neighborhood favorable for you? What about the soil condition? There are many factors that you have to check before you decide on a land. We have listed some valuable points to facilitate you in taking a decision about the location of your new home.